14 permits · verified 2026-10-20
What permits do you need to open a coffee shop in St Johns County?
In short
A coffee shop in St Johns County, FL has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 10 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. St. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning Division charges $28 per application: "Certificate for Home Office, Rural Industry or Business Office (includes Change of Use)" (FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services, amended 09/15/2026) for the zoning approval of the business location (unincorporated st. johns). 8 of the 14 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-20 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a coffee shop in St Johns County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Marshal Permits: Kitchen Hood, Fire Suppression and Annual Operational Permits (Unincorporated St. Johns)only if it applies to you | St. Johns County Fire Rescue, Fire Prevention | Per the Fire Department section of the FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services (amended 09/15/2026): Permit Issuance Fee $26.00; Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Hoods $73.00; Fire Suppression System $75.00; annual permits for operations $60 a year per site for each listed activity, including flammable or combustible liquid storage, flammable finish application, and storage, handling or use of compressed gases; tents and membrane structures $60.00 per event. Starting work without a Fire Marshal permit costs double the normal application fee. | per installation for hood and suppression permits; annual per site for operational permits; per event for tents | 2026-10-20 |
| Alcoholic Beverage Special Use Permit (Unincorporated St. Johns)only if it applies to you | St. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning Division | Special Use Permit, Major Review: $760.00 plus the cost of advertising (FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services, amended 09/15/2026, "all Special Uses found in Section 2.03; includes GIS & Fire Fee"; Development Review Manual Sec. 18.01). Administrative transfer of an alcoholic beverage Special Use Permit to a new owner: $75.00 per hour, one-hour minimum. | one-time for the location; a qualifying transfer to a new owner is approved administratively | 2026-10-20 |
| Food Service Employee Training and Manager Certification | Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants | No fee | employee training 3 years; manager certification 5 years | 2026-09-03 |
| Public Food Service Establishment License | Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants | $242–$357 per year, banded by seating, plus a $50 application fee | annual, on a staggered renewal schedule | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in St Johns County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Local Business Tax Receipt | St. Johns County Tax Collector | Varies — formula on the St Johns County page | annual; the fiscal year runs October 1 through September 30, and a receipt first taken out in the second half of the year pays one-half the annual rate (Ordinance 87-36, Section 2) | 2026-10-20 |
| Zoning Approval of the Business Location (Unincorporated St. Johns)only if it applies to you | St. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning Division | $28 per application: "Certificate for Home Office, Rural Industry or Business Office (includes Change of Use)" (FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services, amended 09/15/2026) | one-time, for each new business location or change of use in unincorporated St. Johns County, before the county business tax receipt is issued | 2026-10-20 |
| Commercial Building Permits (Unincorporated St. Johns)only if it applies to you | St. Johns County Building Department | Varies — formula on the St Johns County page | per project | 2026-10-20 |
| Sign Permit (Unincorporated St. Johns)only if it applies to you | St. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning Division | Varies — formula on the St Johns County page | one-time per sign; a new permit is needed for structural alteration or for work on more than one-sixth of a sign structure in a year | 2026-10-20 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
FL registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations | $125 one-time filing | no expiry, but an annual report is due every year by 1 May | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations | $70 one-time filing | no expiry, but an annual report is due every year by 1 May | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Report (LLC)only if it applies to you | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations | Varies — formula on the FL page | annual, due by 1 May | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Report (Corporation)only if it applies to you | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations | Varies — formula on the FL page | annual, due by 1 May | 2026-09-03 |
| Business Tax Application (Sales and Use Tax)only if it applies to you | Florida Department of Revenue | No fee — no fee to register | no fixed expiry | 2026-09-03 |
| Local Business Tax Receipt | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations | No fee | annual — every receipt expires on 30 September | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
How much does it actually cost to permit a coffee shop in St Johns County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 14 records listed for a coffee shop in St Johns County, FL, 4 apply to every business of this type and 10 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
8 of the 14 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Fire Marshal Permits: Kitchen Hood, Fire Suppression and Annual Operational Permits (Unincorporated St. Johns): Per the Fire Department section of the FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services (amended 09/15/2026): Permit Issuance Fee $26.00; Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Hoods $73.00; Fire Suppression System $75.00; annual permits for operations $60 a year per site for each listed activity, including flammable or combustible liquid storage, flammable finish application, and storage, handling or use of compressed gases; tents and membrane structures $60.00 per event. Starting work without a Fire Marshal permit costs double the normal application fee.
Alcoholic Beverage Special Use Permit (Unincorporated St. Johns): Special Use Permit, Major Review: $760.00 plus the cost of advertising (FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services, amended 09/15/2026, "all Special Uses found in Section 2.03; includes GIS & Fire Fee"; Development Review Manual Sec. 18.01). Administrative transfer of an alcoholic beverage Special Use Permit to a new owner: $75.00 per hour, one-hour minimum.
Public Food Service Establishment License: $242–$357 per year, banded by seating, plus a $50 application fee
The other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the St Johns County permits page and the FL state page.
Which offices issue these permits in St Johns County?
Permits for a coffee shop in St Johns County, FL come from 7 separate offices: St. Johns County Tax Collector, St. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning Division, St. Johns County Building Department, St. Johns County Fire Rescue, Fire Prevention, Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, Florida Department of Revenue, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- St. Johns County Tax CollectorIssues 1 permit on this page: County Local Business Tax Receipt904-209-2250sjctax.us/local-business-tax
- St. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning DivisionIssues 3 permits on this page: Zoning Approval of the Business Location (Unincorporated St. Johns), Alcoholic Beverage Special Use Permit (Unincorporated St. Johns), Sign Permit (Unincorporated St. Johns)4040 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL 32084 · 904-209-0675www.sjcfl.us/faqs/do-i-need-a-license-to-do-business-in-st-johns-county-2
- St. Johns County Building DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Commercial Building Permits (Unincorporated St. Johns)904-827-6800www.sjcfl.us/permit-guidelines-and-general-information
- St. Johns County Fire Rescue, Fire PreventionIssues 1 permit on this page: Fire Marshal Permits: Kitchen Hood, Fire Suppression and Annual Operational Permits (Unincorporated St. Johns)3657 Gaines Road, St. Augustine, FL 32084 · 904-209-1740www.sjcfl.us/departments/fire-prevention
- Florida Department of State, Division of CorporationsIssues 5 permits on this page, including Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Annual Report (LLC)efile.sunbiz.org
- Florida Department of RevenueIssues 1 permit on this page: Business Tax Application (Sales and Use Tax)floridarevenue.com/taxes/eservices/Pages/registration.aspx
- Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and RestaurantsIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Service Employee Training and Manager Certification, Public Food Service Establishment Licensewww.myfloridalicense.com
What does a coffee shop need in St Johns County that other businesses do not?
Food Service Employee Training and Manager Certification
Florida sets no price for either qualification — training is bought from private providers the Department has approved, so no amount is shown here because the state charges none. Two separate obligations sit behind that. Every food service employee must be trained within 60 days of being hired, and the certification lasts three years. Separately, each licensed establishment must have at least one certified food protection manager, whose certification lasts five years, and where four or more employees are working with food at one time a certified manager must be physically present. Beware one figure that circulates as though it were a card price: the statute lets the Department charge the certifying organisation no more than $5 per certified test. That is what the regulator bills the exam provider, not what a worker pays. Temporary food service vendors and vending machine operators are exempt from the manager requirement.
Shared with other businesses in St Johns County
- Fire Marshal Permits: Kitchen Hood, Fire Suppression and Annual Operational Permits (Unincorporated St. Johns) — St. Johns County Fire Rescue, Fire Prevention, Per the Fire Department section of the FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services (amended 09/15/2026): Permit Issuance Fee $26.00; Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Hoods $73.00; Fire Suppression System $75.00; annual permits for operations $60 a year per site for each listed activity, including flammable or combustible liquid storage, flammable finish application, and storage, handling or use of compressed gases; tents and membrane structures $60.00 per event. Starting work without a Fire Marshal permit costs double the normal application fee., per installation for hood and suppression permits; annual per site for operational permits; per event for tents. Also required for restaurants, retail stores and auto repair shops; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
- Alcoholic Beverage Special Use Permit (Unincorporated St. Johns) — St. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning Division, Special Use Permit, Major Review: $760.00 plus the cost of advertising (FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services, amended 09/15/2026, "all Special Uses found in Section 2.03; includes GIS & Fire Fee"; Development Review Manual Sec. 18.01). Administrative transfer of an alcoholic beverage Special Use Permit to a new owner: $75.00 per hour, one-hour minimum., one-time for the location; a qualifying transfer to a new owner is approved administratively. Also required for restaurants and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Public Food Service Establishment License — Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants, $242–$357 per year, banded by seating, plus a $50 application fee, annual, on a staggered renewal schedule. Also required for restaurants; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in St Johns County, FL; what each one involves is set out on the St Johns County permits page. The 6 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across FL and are covered on the FL state page.
How does a coffee shop compare with other businesses in St Johns County?
The closest match is a restaurant, which shares 4 of these permits. A restaurant needs Temporary Use Permit for Outdoor Sales and Markets (Unincorporated St. Johns), which a coffee shop does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a coffee shop | Only a coffee shop needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Retail stores | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Childcare centres | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
Sources
Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the retail stores page and restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the St Johns County permits page and the FL state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Florida Statutes section 509.049 — food service employee training, valid three years, within 60 days of employmentThe Florida Senate · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.